New Delhi: While the Delhi government has received environmental compensation charge (ECC) amounting Rs 1,935.44 crore, nearly 60% of it remains unspent, a Right to Information (RTI) response has revealed, reported Hindustan Times.As per the response, of the Rs 1,935.44 crore, only Rs 781.51 crore was spent, with Rs 1,153.93 crore remaining unspent.The ECC was imposed by the Supreme Court in 2015 and is collected by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The proceeds from the ECC, which is levied on commercial vehicles entering Delhi to mitigate air pollution, is subsequently deposited to the account of the Delhi government.As per the RTI response, most of the money spent so far went towards major transport infrastructure project, with the largest listed allocation made being Rs 500 crore, sanctioned to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) in May 2023 for implementation of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor.In March 2019, another Rs 265 crore was released to NCRTC for the same project.“Despite court orders and experts suggesting serious measures need to be taken, the funds are not being adequately used for big projects that can have a direct impact on reducing pollution,” Amit Gupta, the RTI activist who filed the application, told Hindustan Times.Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the Delhi government to submit a plan for using the remaining money on long-term measures along with interim recommendations made by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The apex court had emphasised on the need to fully utilise the funds for measures directed by it.While the ECC, aimed at mitigating air pollution arising from vehicles remains underspent, The Wire had earlier reported that an analysis last year by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment showed despite the decrease in farm fires, air pollution levels in Delhi in October and November were still high primarily due to vehicular pollution.Per the analysis, real-time air pollution data showed that the levels of fine particulate matter (or PM2.5, a major air pollutant) mirrored the daily dips and spikes in the levels of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide – both pollutants emitted by vehicles – during peak traffic hours.